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Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Food...

Food is amazing.
Not only does it taste so delicious but it connects people, makes people feel good and can be surprising.

My mom has an amazing cookie recipe. It's my dad's favorite! He talks about it all the time. My parents married while they were both in college. My dad played football for the University of Central Missouri, back then it was Central Missouri College. It was before it changed to Central Missouri State University (I had to even think about how that name went it's been so long since I used CMSU). My dad would tell us, his daughters, how he'd come home from football practice and my mom would have chocolate chip cookies baking. She'd always save him a spoonful of dough. My students will tell you at this point in the story I'd cringe. RAW COOKIE DOUGH!! Come on mom! You know better. Well in my family, my mom's cookies are legendary!

Last weekend my dad went skiing. He's 60 years old and in good shape but there are things a 60 year old man should not do. Skiing is the limit. He pulled something in his back and is in a lot of pain. He's very active. He's a wood craftsman. He's trying to get his custom furniture making business up and running. Now, he's bound to bed & his recliner by crippling pain. I decided to bake him some cookies. No, I don't have my mom's recipe. I found a really good recipe online that is a hit with my husband and I.

I brought the cookies to him and my mom yesterday. There were 27 that the batch made. Today, I went back to help around the house and I noticed that half the bag was gone. He loves them. My mom tried them and she reluctantly surrendered and said mine were better. I couldn't believe it. My mom taught me to cook. I have all of her recipes memorized, expect for the cookies, she won't let that one go yet. I have changed little things about the recipes. I'll add a dash of this or a smidgen of that... My dad asks for me to come over and cook for them to give my mom a break. He'll ask for me to make it, "mom's way." But he wanted MY cookies, ok they aren't MINE. They are William Sonoma's recipe but it's made with a dash of love from my heart.

My dad always told me that food tastes best when you add a dash of love into what you make. No matter what you make, make it with love. He said the people eating your food will be able to tell. For some reason. I think he's right. No, I'm not crazy. Try it sometime.

In the mean time, here's the chocolate chip cookie recipe that has our family all crazy lately.
ENJOY! Make it with a dash of love for someone you care about.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 1/4 cups (6 1/2 oz./200 g) unbleached all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup (1 stick/4 oz./125 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup (3 1/2 oz./105 g) firmly packed light brown sugar

6 Tbs. (3 oz./90 g) granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups (15 oz./470 g) semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and mix on low speed until blended. Slowly add the flour mixture and mix just until incorporated. Switch to a wooden spoon and stir in the chocolate chips.

Bake the cookies, 1 sheet at a time, until the bottoms and edges are lightly browned and the tops feel firm when lightly touched, 10-13 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool completely. Makes 30 cookies.